Sorry this is a bit late, but it took a little more prep then usual because i decided to add in an actual checklist you can use to make sure you take everything you need.
Now, I know that a wedding day should run perfectly but its always best to “be prepared”, and one essentially part of making sure the day runs as smoothly as possible is the Bridal Recovery Kit/ Emergency Kit. Usually every bride usually has some form of Recovery Kit, it can range from just a lippy, tissue and perfume to a container filled with bandaids, party feet, water and much more (i have seen dedicated maids of honour with backpacks ready for any and all circumstances). Here is rundown of what I would recommend putting in one of these kits, I carry around a little kit it of my own (as a wedding photographer I believe in being really prepared) as well just in case but its a parred down version. In an ideal world my bride’s kit would have the following:
- bobby pins (because hair is prone to doing its own thing)
- hairspray
- hair brush, comb and perhaps even a straightener/curling iron depending on your hair type
- tissues (obviously)
- safety pins ( these are probably one of the most useful elements, it seems dress are destined to misbehave on the day!)
- basic sewing kit (its nice to be able to fix a button on a boys shirt, jacket etc)
- hand sanitizer
- baby wipes (also do very well in getting rid of mild stains, better than just water)
- really awesome bandaids, my favorite are actually these big ones that are skin colored and padded, here is a link. Great if your shoes have decide to launch and unprovoked attack on your poor feet, they stay forever in place unlike normal bandaids!
- party feet (and related products to alleviate foot ills)
- clear nail polish (for runs in stockings)
- superglue (always handy if a shoe breaks! pluss many other uses)
- feminine hygiene products (God forbid, but if you have watched 16 candles -it happens!)
- makeup essentials
- nail file
- biotene mouth gum or spray (really good if your mouth drys out before speeches etc, you can get it at any chemist)
- cash (for parking)
- pain killers
- indegestion pills
- allergy meds
and, actually, much more! (the sky’s the limit really). Water is essential for instance, and make sure someone in the party has access to a mobile, just in case. You can really make a kit as big or small as you feel comfortable with. Having a kit can just keep everyone smiling that little bit longer (which is a good thing in my book).
While i was researching this post I actually found it pretty hard to find a ready made checklist, so I decided to help budding brides out and created my own. I have created a word document and pdf checklist. just click the links below (you can add new items to the Word doc easily, just copy and past a previous item including the check box and then change it accordingly).
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Till next time!
I though it was worth telling our readers why we do what we do -what our core belief is and how it drives what we do.
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In finite terms, a wedding day is just one 24 hour period that can be spliced down into hours, minutes and seconds. But no one actually remembers their wedding day in these terms, what we do remember is the events that made up that wedding day: the first married kiss, the rings, the first dance and so on and so forth. We also remember the joyous and optimistic feelings that come with a singular event that promises (and delivers for better or for worse) the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.
It is in our memories that our wedding day can and does last forever. Indeed our memories of that one day, that one day that changes our lives in many infinite, large and tiny indescribable ways, can and does effect our everyday lives. For many it can become a safe point, a safe harbour to sail into when the seas of life become rough. Because on that one day, the day we said ‘I do’, we said so much more.
We said we believe that people can dream together, that they can grow together, that they can love till death and beyond. We may, sometimes and probably often, look at the naiveté of that day and laugh or cry but we cannot deny that that was the truth of that day. We grow older and hopefully wiser, but there is a beauty in the innocence of a wedding day that is worth treasuring and keeping safe in our hearts and memories.
Keeping memories safe though can be hard and so we try to keep our memories strong by making keepsakes of all sorts. We keep flowers, we have our rings and finally, when the dress is packed away and the flowers have dried to a dark resemblance of their fresh selves, we have our photos.
And that’s the crux of it, photos are the main currency of our memories. They refresh and recharge our memories, when we share them with others, with loved ones, we create new memories for them to treasure also.
Thats why we all take photos: because we know the power of memory, and while the moment can only last for a finite period of time in terms of the passage of time, in our memories those moments stretch out before us for as long as our lives last. Photos are that little string around our finger that reminds us of those times gone past. We know that a good photo, a great photo, is like a candle to a memory ever burning bright and a bad one is like a fog over our eyes; shading and dulling our vision of whats past.
Thats why we strive to create beautiful photos. Because we believe that the memory of the day that those photos represent should be glorious and luminescent. We believe that if you have great photos of your day, then your day can sparkle just that little bit brighter when you look back on it.
I could say we take really good photos, and that if you take us on as your wedding photographers we will give you photos that are beautiful and true to your day. It would be the truth, but its not reason enough to hire us. Lots of people take great photos. You should hire us if you believe like we do – that our memories are our most precious assets, that something that precious deserves to be captured in photos that are made with care, quality and respect from the minute they are taken.
There isn’t much info on Anne Hathaway’s wedding (let alone images of her pro wedding photography) unfortunately but that wedding dress just has to be blogged about. Anne married her beau in a secret sunset ceremony in September of last year and while most photos I have managed to track down are obvious paparazzi shots (i.e. very grainy!) you can tell that the couple were clearly having the day of their lives.
Married at scenic Big Sur on the Californian coast it was a low key affair with a modest guest list of about 150 people (well, modest for a celebrity) who were serenaded to Jazz trio Americano Social Club. They married surrounded by pine trees in specially erected marquee bathed in sunset light (sunsets are a longer affair in the northern hemisphere, try that in Perth and there will be no light by the time you say ‘i do’!.. grumble, grumble). An Autumnal theme featured throughout the reception with branches and 60,00 dollars worth (gasp and faint!) of flowers.
Now to that dress! Designed by Valentino the dress is dreamily romantic. Layers of chiffon and tulle with the double whammy of long train and cathedral length veil. Covered in intricate lace work and featuring a hand painted train with embroidered satin flowers it features an off-the-shoulder style with a natural waist bodice. It has a slight pink tinge at the bottom but is so subtle you could almost believe its a trick of the light. While Anne kept her accessories to a minimum she did adorn her really short hair (thanks to her role in Les Mis) with a 1920’s style headband. Anne didn’t want to have short hair for her wedding day but I think she found a perfect way to look classically romantic even with pixie lengths. She finished it all off with a simple ivory rose bouquet and the best accessory of all, a huge radiant smile.
Enjoy the pics and hope it give you some inspiration in any wedding planning your doing!
(Pics from Vogue and OK! Magazine)
While I love a celebrity wedding as much as the next person I have to admit that many of them are pretty ho hum affairs. They follow a pretty set formula, for example:
Celebrity A and B got married in stunningly expensive location C surrounded by x hundreds of their closest friends and family, the dress was by designer D and the lovely couple honeymooned at E. They are beautiful affairs with big dresses, smart tuxes, expensive cakes and huge venues but their rarely anything unique. Basically they are exactly what we would expect the sickeningly wealthy to do. But every so often a wedding comes along that bucks the trend, and one reasonably recent wedding that did this was that of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince. Kate Moss may well be fashion royalty but her wedding was refreshingly free of fashion pretence and felt like it would have been a genuinely fun event to be a part of.
Kate’s gown was what every bride who ever wanted a vintage gown could dream of; ethereal and ornate but still edgy enough for the modern day (it was sheer after all), designed by none other than John Galliano. Her veil looked like it had been stolen from the 1920’s without looking dated or old. The bridal party were not forgotten with lovely children’s outfits in cream and white (military page boy coats!). Married in a beautiful stone church and a reception in a country field setting (but with marques) the word ‘perfect’ comes to mind with this wedding more than once.
While unconventional the use of white and cream for all the outfits for the girls with floral crowns to top them off, really amplified the summery vibe for this July 1st 2011 wedding. But there were other surprises as well, from Teepee’s for the kids to Kate’s stunning glitzy red coat/cape which just dripped glamour and rockstar sex appeal (note: the couple had a pre wedding shoot in which they wore different clothes but it still counts as far as I am concerned, if i could afford more than one set of wedding clothes I would have been up for it as well!).
Their wedding photos were also unique which is to be expected from Mario Testino, fashion photog extraordinary. Whoever came up with bringing in red into the pre wedding shoot pics was a genius, it really brought out the green of the scenery and is something more brides should be open to – white is beautiful but adding some bright spots of colour can only serve to enhance its brilliance.
I also adored the group photos of the bridal party (which do look like a Vogue setup when I think about it) and have been guilty of trying similar setups when time, location and props allowed. Their casual and fun and its clear that no one was too obsessed with making all the kids look 100% perfect (although they do come close!). I loved the mostly natural processing that also allowed for rich dramatic colours which again suits Kate fashion background. Truly an inspiration for our profession.
I am sure many brides have taken inspiration from this wedding!
Till next time!
All images by Mario Testino for Vogue
Our lovely bride Sarah Henneveld has entered the Bride of the Year competition over at True Bride. We had a fabulous time doing her wedding which was relaxed out of town affair and beautiful shots taken on the beach and vineyard. A gorgeous and fun loving couple! Click here to vote for her!
Most Fridays I will be covering a celebrity wedding. As you can see from this post I am quite loose in my use of the term of “celebrity” to cover historic personalities as well.
I thought Queen Vic’s wedding was an appropriate beginning because, well, she started the trend that nearly all brides follow to this day: The white dress. Before Queen Victoria married Prince Albert (a match based on Love more than anything else *) women generally wore their best gown to be married in. Of course, for those who came from noble and aristocratic backgrounds this gown would be especially made for the occasion but it was almost never white. The gown would often be made of gold, silver, silk, brocade; heavy and rich and denoting the status of the wearer and what bounty she brought to the marriage. Poorer women could never dream of such riches but they would wear their best gown.
Princess Charlotte Married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg in 1816. An elaborate cloth-of-silver empire line dress embroidered with flowers and trimmed with Brussels lace.
Queen Victoria, the first ruling queen England had had since Queen Elizabeth, sought to break this trend. She wanted a dress that would suit her romantic imagination and hence a dress was made of white satin and silk with lace and orange blossoms. Queen Victoria was not the first to wear a white wedding dress but her example inspired a nation and beyond. Funnily enough she was criticised by here choice, as “At the time, Victoria’s choice was criticized for being too conservative, since she did not wear jewels, velvet, ermine furs, or a crown, and the color was unusual”(Wikipaedia). Clearly she was a woman ahead of her time.
Within a decade wearing white at the wedding was so common that “The Godey’s Lady’s Book, wrote: “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one””(Wikipaedia), even though it was a really recent innovation!
Times may have changed since then but brides still wear white on their wedding day and most love a puffy princess dress, although we are less into puffy sleeves than Queen Vic’s version!
I love the shoes she wore, you can still imagine a bride today choosing those sweet ballet flats with ballet like lacing.
Enjoy the pics below from her wedding! I love how the artists “airbrushed” her in their illustrations – somethings never change!
Till next time!
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* After his untimely death Queen Victoria went into permanent mourning for her beau. If you visit Osborne House in the Isle of Wight and go to her bed she actually had “on the headboard of the bed …Prince Albert’s pocket watch and alongside it … a tinted photograph of the Prince after his death. Queen Victoria always had these two objects hanging on the headboard in each of her royal residences…Beside the bed is the Queen’s favourite painting of her husband as a young medieval knight.” (Open Learning)
Melissa and Toby were married on a most gorgeous 31st of March. Our stunning bride chose the Matilday Bay Foreshore for a picturesque wedding ceremony, followed by photos at UWA and a reception at the Matilda Bay Restaurant.
Toby couldn’t stop smiling from the moment we first met him on his wedding day, and with a bride like Melissa it’s not hard to understand why. Beautiful Melissa looked amazing in her gown and it’s easy to see where her gorgeous kids get their looks from. Her lovely daughter,Aleisha, was a fantastic assistant and I can honestly say I have never met a more helpful flowergirl/bridesmaid. she was a joy to photographer and talk to and was truly enjoying this day easily as much as the bridal couple ( she shyly reveled to me that she had been waiting 2 years for this day to come!).
The bridal party was a hoot to work with, and this is probably the first time I could safely say that getting them to stop smiling was the problem ( what a happy problem for a wedding photographer). Michelle and Lee were champs to the end!
Toby and Melissa, you guys were a riot, we were privileged to be your wedding photographers. It’s easy to see that you guys will have many happy years ahead of you. Congrats!
Suraya and Greg were married on a beautiful September day, the 10th to be exact, at the picturesque Cottesloe Civic Centre followed by a scrumptious High Tea held in the aptly named Jarrah Hall. Their reception was held at the fabulous Fraser Restaurant in Kings Park. The ceremony was a lovely affair, with vows that included the brides love of shopping (and promise to not torture the groom to much with this) and the grooms love of boating
(and promise to not…am…over indulge this pleasure!). Such a stunning and gorgeous couple, we here at FWP wish them all the best!
Some wonderful pics from Kimberely and Tims Wedding, a beautiful day and a beautiful couple!
Suzie and Matt, married at St. Patrick’s Basilica and Reception at the Red Herring, Fremantle. A Gorgeous Bride groom who had a fantastic and fun wedding.
What our Couples say….
Thank you very much for being our wedding photographer. You and your beautiful wife have done an amazing job. From the onset of our first meeting we were very confident in that choosing you as our photographer that we had made the right decision. We applaud your work, from the way you conduct your business, the countless hours and effort you put in, right down to the fine detailed spectacular finished product. Please know that as well as monetary gain, you also have our copious appreciation.
We will recommend you to everyone we know, and probably even people we don’t.
Mark & Sarah